Christopher Breen @BodyofBreen
You’ve thought long and hard about
it and have decided to make the switch from your Windows PC to a Mac. The hard
part’s over, right? You just traipse down to a promising-looking electronics
boutique, slap down your credit card, learn the secret handshake, and you’re a
Mac owner.
Not exactly. There are still
questions to be answered. Where are Macs sold? Why would you choose one store
or another? Should you skip retail stores altogether and purchase the thing
online? Is it possible to purchase an older model for less money? And are
post-purchase protection plans worth the money? Read on for the answers.
Where
can you buy a Mac?
Unlike some PCs you may have
purchased, Macs aren’t sold everywhere. Apple maintains tight control over who
can sell its products—increasingly so since the Apple retail stores were
launched.
The source: Speaking of Apple retail stores, there are hundreds of
them. To find the one nearest you, visit Apple’s Retail Store page. If you don’t have one
within easy driving distance, you can shop for your Mac at Apple’s online store.
Third-party retailers: Apple isn’t your only choice. You can buy a Mac in
person at a Best Buy store and online at such retailers as Amazon.com, MacConnection,
and MacMall.
Also, Apple has established a network of Apple Authorized Dealers. These are stores that
are granted permission to sell and service Apple products. Unlike Apple’s own
stores, which rarely offer discounts, third-party retailers will sometimes sell
Macs for less, though you’ll never find them offered at a steep discount.
Government and educational
discounts: Apple does offer discounts for government
agencies, military personnel, and educational use. And the company usually offers a
“Back to School” deal where you can get something like a free iPod touch when
you purchase a new Mac. (These deals are usually offered in the late spring or
early summer.)
If
you’re a student, a school’s faculty or staff member, or a parent of a college-bound
student, you may quality for Apple’s education pricing.
Is
it better to buy directly from Apple?
Like any smart retailer, Apple wants
the lion’s share of the profit when selling a Mac, and so it provides itself
perks that it doesn’t share with other retailers. To begin with, when you order
online, you can custom configure your Mac—add more memory or storage, for
example, or upgrade the processor. You can also choose to sign up for Apple’s One to One service, where for $99 a year
(extendable to three years total), Apple will not only transfer data from an
old Mac, but also offer training on a drop-in basis at an Apple retail store.
Shop
at the online Apple Store, and you can customize your Mac’s configuration.
Apple sells refurbished models for a
discount (more about this later), which is something other retailers can’t do.
And Apple performs many repairs and replacements on-site, whereas Apple
authorized retailers often have to return problem products to Apple for
exchange or repair.
The third-party advantage: Apple doesn’t hold all the cards, however. When purchasing a
Mac from Apple’s online store, Apple will charge state sales tax where
applicable. Some other online retailers don’t (though you may still owe money
to the tax collector). These retailers offer the same warranty that
Apple does. Additionally, some physical stores with “Apple authorized
retailer” status will migrate data from one Mac to another for free. In a small
store, it’s easier to establish a personal relationship with the owner and
employees. And those people aren’t limited to telling you only what Apple wants
you to hear. They often have advice for working around issues that Apple
employees can’t discuss.
What
about refurbished Macs?
Because all returned Macs eventually
make their way to Apple, the company has the ability to repair and restore
returned units. These weren’t necessarily broken computers—Macs are returned
for a variety of reasons. Regardless of the state the Mac was originally in,
it’s brought up to like-new condition, equipped with the same warranty as a new
Mac, and priced, on average, a few hundred dollars less. Some refurbs are of
current models, while others may be of the previous generation or two. You can
find Apple’s refurbs on the Apple site.
Is
an AppleCare extended warranty worth it?
With the purchase of an Apple
product, the company offers a one-year limited warranty and 90 days of free
telephone support. AppleCare is an add-on service and support
plan that extends the coverage on your Apple product.
What it covers: For Macs and Apple displays, this coverage extends to three
years total from the original purchase date. For iOS devices and Apple TVs,
coverage is extended to two years from purchase. If you purchase an Apple
display at the same time that you buy your Mac, AppleCare coverage for the Mac
also covers the display.
The coverage includes phone support
for the length of the plan, carry-in service to Apple retail stores and
authorized service providers, drop off at UPS stores in the United States for
iPods and iPhones, direct mail-in service, on-site service for desktop computers,
and parts delivered to you for things that can be easily replaced (new cables
or input devices that were bundled with your purchase, for example). During the
coverage period, repairs are done for free except in instances when it’s clear
the problem was caused by user negligence. (Hint: iPhones that are stored in
back pockets plus restrooms can be a dangerous combination.)
What it costs: The price of AppleCare depends on the device for which you
purchase coverage. For example, AppleCare for a Mac mini is $149, an iMac’s
coverage costs $169, a 13-inch Retina display MacBook Pro or MacBook Air is
$249, and a 15-inch Retina display MacBook Pro is $349.
Whether AppleCare is worth it
depends, of course, on whether your Apple product has serious problems during
the coverage period. If it operates trouble-free during that time you may feel
like you’ve thrown away your money. However, if a display goes bad or a
motherboard gives up the ghost, you’ll be thrilled to be covered when you learn
that you’d otherwise pay three times the price of an AppleCare plan for the
repair.
When it’s definitely worth it: A reasonable rule of thumb is that if your Mac has a
built-in display (a laptop or iMac), it’s worth paying for AppleCare, as
repairing a display is never an inexpensive proposition. AppleCare for an iOS
device is a tougher sell, as problems with those devices usually surface within
the first six months, though the AppleCare+ plans that cover such devices
include coverage for two “accidental damage due to handling” incidents. If you
drop your device and shatter its screen, for example, you can have it replaced
for $49 plus applicable tax.
Welcome
There’s a reason many Apple users’
eyes have a slightly fanatical glint. Apple makes great stuff that’s fun and
easy to use. It's hard to not be enthusiastic about a new Mac. Now that you
know where to get yours (and how to protect it should something bad happen),
welcome in. The water's fine.
